Porsche seems to have gotten the message in recent years that power, grip and lap times alone aren’t necessarily what the enthusiast is after. The brilliant PDK gearbox, arguably the best on the market currently, has been criticized as being sterile and detracting from the driver’s overall engagement with the vehicle. Yet, Porsche has kept their foot down and insisted on integrating their lightning-quick, paddle-shifted PDK ‘box into anything and everything in their fleet.

That is, until recently. The sacrilegious decision to equip the 991 GT3 exclusively with PDK has been decried by many fans, since the GT3 is supposed to be the rawest, most involving car out there. However, the gains that this gearbox has over any manually-shifted system is obvious, hence Porsche’s decision to retain the flappy paddles. The lap times don’t lie.

However, the subjective aspects of driving are always considered by Porsche, and in response to the outcry around the lack of a traditional, stick-and-clutch manual, Porsche have developed the 911 R — a hardcore, stripped-down car that exists somewhere in between the GT3 RS and the Carrera S, and could only be described as the purist’s ultimate Porsche.

A specialized differential, 500 horsepower and purposeful footwork make this car confidence-inspiring.

What made headlines, for better or worse, was the choice of transmission. For this particular steed, the third pedal and a gear lever make an appearance. A conventionally-shifted manual, accompanying a high-revving powerplant and a curb weight of just 3,020 pounds will have any Porschephile drooling into their pillows.

Using the lightest contemporary 911 body with the 500-horsepower, 4.0-liter atmospheric powerplant from the GT3 RS equates to something like six pounds per horsepower! Those weight savings come as the result of a stringent diet, carbon front fenders, a magnesium roof, a titanium exhaust system, no A/C, nor any rear seats. It’s a simpler, rawer approach to the immense performance the modern cars are capable of, with a touch of sixties styling.

Brown leather, checkered fabric, and no Sport Chrono to be seen – this car oozes retro styling.

Thankfully, the lack of major downforce and a semi-automatic gearbox don’t prevent the car from being an absolute rocket on the track. As seen piloted by the courageous, talented Christian Gebhardt, the 911 R begs to be thrashed through Hockenheim’s fast bends.

Displaying a workable amount of understeer, that benign chassis balance seems to come through even in one of the more responsive cars Porsche’s made in a long time. Aided by a widened front track and rear-wheel steering, the 911 R turns in well, appears playful on the limit and willing to rotate, and predictably, provides ample torque everywhere in the rev range.

Those traits help it on the track, but they’re also advantageous on the street. Seen hooning through the stunning Nivolet Pass in the Italian Alps, the car’s poise and stunning rear traction allows for smooth, safe, and speedy driving. While the 911 R could be described as a track car with an emphasis on style, there’s no question it’s a serious bruiser — anything that can muster 198 mph on the Autobahn without a turbocharger is a purpose-built machine, and we desperately want one.